Help! Deep well pump pressure - again?

Please help! Without water for ten days now.... Previous thread below, but similar to GoofyMonkey's also. Had to replace previous 1hp waterAce deep well jet pump with new one (exact same pump). Been fighting with it for a week now. Well pipe 4" - two pipes into well seal. Both pipes are completely full of water. Filled pump several times completely. When I close off pressure regulator completely and start pump, pressure gauge screwed directly into pump housing goes right to 40 psi. As soon as I crack the pressure regulator vavle open, even just a tiny bit, pressure plummets to zero. By just barely opening it I am able to keep it around 15 psi while running, but I cannot tell if any water is going into galvanized displacement tank or not (tapping on it for sound doesn't help). I have air valve on top of displacement tank open so it can fill - - should I close it? Question two - would it be easier on the pump if I manually fill the displacement tank? Question three - with regulator closed should pressure be a lot higher than 40 psi? If so what could be the issue - Could the pump actually be defective? Looking for any suggestion? Thanks greatly!

You are more than likely having a problem with the jet assembly in the well. The pressure should raise higher than 40 psi with the regulator closed and filling that tank manualy will do nothing for that pump. My suggestion to you would be to install a submerisble pump and forget about ever having to deal with that pain in the rump deep well jet set up again.Speedbump has submersible pumps for sale. I'm sure he can ship one to you in a hurry!Sammy

Thanks - - The only way I could check the jet assembly I assume would be to completely pull the pipe? Well is inside in enclosed "pump" room with an eight foot ceiling of course, and probably galvanized pipe (at least 35 years old). I would have to pull pipe and cut as I remove? Don't even know if I could lift it - probably have to chain and pulley from an exposed ceiling beam? A real well driller wouldn't have access either - - I'm really screwed. Is there any way to check the jet without pulling the pipes? I have been told that well is 200ft. but I have no true way of verifying that, or how deep point is, or where standing water level is. I am going to try and replace the 90 degree elbows coming out of the well seal as they are corroded and pitted, just in case of any pinhole air leaks? Or should I not bother? Any last-ditch things I could try before the nightmare of pulling the pipe? Thanks......

A 'real' well and pump guy is likely to have a special rig to lift a single galvanized pipe in that room. Two pipes at once, I don't know. 35-year-old galvanized pipe doesn't really owe anybody anything, so if it gets removed and replaced, what the hey.

Are you sure its galvanized pipe going down the well? If it's poly,pulling it out would be a sinch. If it's galvanized pipe,i guarantee the jet is plugged and has to be pulled. Forget replacing those elbows. Work on getting that jet out and start thinking submersible pump.

The pipes coming through the well seal are definitely galvanized - I can't imagine they would have changed over to poly below the seal. You're saying jet certainly shot if galvanized because of corrosion I assume? Well is minimum 35 years old and probably much older than that - - my wife bought the house in 1973 in terrible shape (money pit ever since we met ten years later!) and was built in 1950 or so... so I'm guessing they didn't even use poly back then? and I'm just as certain the previous owners never even serviced the system, as they were pretty clueless college English professor types - - haha....
I guess I can open up the well seal and check the pipes below it for material - don't seem to have much choice at this point? Any other guesses? And thanks for all your help! Would it be cheaper to have a new well dug in another location rather than servicing old well? I'm also assuming real well guy would have to check the old well to see if still providing ample water through screens, etc.?

I have seen galvanized nipples through the well seal and then poly down the well before so dont rule it out. Loosen up the well seal and see if you can lift the pipes. You are going to have to loosen up the 4 bolts and then get some prying tools to pry the seal apart,small pry bars work great. You also want to keep the elbows on the pipe so the pipes dont shoot down the hole while you are loosing the seal. Be patient with the well seal because it can take some time to get it loose.Loosen up the 4 bolts so they are about a 1/4 inch off the seal and tap them down with a hammer. It will help with loosening up the seal.From there,pry away. As far as what the well is producing for water,you will not know until you get some reliable pumping equipment on the well system to perform a pump test.